After the dust settled on the 2024 election, we can take a good look at how the polls fared. They weren’t perfect, but they did a pretty decent job, especially considering the tough environment for pollsters. National polls had Donald Trump and Kamala Harris in a tight race, with Harris slightly ahe
Ever wondered how airplane pollution might affect your health? Well, Seattle residents are asking the same question. A big lawsuit just started, and it's pointing fingers at Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines. The problem? Air pollution around Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). Who's maki
You know how some industries, like pharmaceuticals and plastics, release harmful chemicals called phenols into water? Detecting these pollutants is tricky and usually requires expensive methods and skilled people. Enter the affordable, easy-to-use paper strips! These strips, made from simple filter
Have you ever thought about what happens to all the plastic we throw away? A lot of it ends up in the air we breathe as microplastics. These tiny plastic pieces, less than 5 millimeters in size, are everywhere, from the deepest oceans to the highest mountains. They come from things like old tires, f
After years of gridlock, there's finally a glimmer of hope in international plastic treaty talks. A large group of countries is pushing hard for a production cap to be included in the treaty. But not everyone is on board, and some nations are trying to water down the agreement. The talks in Busan, S
Have you ever thought about what happens to the plastic bags that hold your traditional Chinese herbal decoction? It's convenient for sure, but there might be some hidden trouble brewing inside. When these bags are filled with hot water, they release tiny bits of plastic, known as micro and nanoplas
You might think that the biggest problem with antibiotic production wastewater is the leftover antibiotics. But there's more to worry about. This wastewater also has high amounts of organic pollutants, which can be very harmful on their own or when mixed with antibiotics. One study looked at how the
Pollutants can act differently depending on the environment they're in. Scientists wondered how two specific pollutants, 6-OH-BDE-47 and 6-MeO-BDE-47, behave when there's plenty of oxygen (oxic conditions) or not much (anoxic conditions). They used labeled versions of these pollutants to see what ha
Did you know that tiny organisms called protists can play a big role in making the soil healthier? Scientists decided to see how these microscopic creatures affect soil when it's polluted with a heavy metal called cadmium. They focused on one type of protist called Colpoda steinii. Soil naturally h
Ever wanted to clean up a polluted lake? Well, meet the PAD resin, a super absorbent material designed to tackle chromium (VI) pollution. Made via an eco-friendly process, this resin is no ordinary adsorbent. It not only soaks up a lot of chromium (VI), but also changes color when it does, making it
